Toothpaste dispensing toothbrush

ABSTRACT

A toothpaste dispensing toothbrush has a longitudinal, hollow, cylindrical housing, an open distal end, and an open proximal end. The distal end is tapered to a blunt, open extremity. The proximal end has a predetermined inside diameter. The cylindrical housing also has a transparent longitudinal window located along its outer surface. A toothbrush head is removably affixed to the distal end of the housing. A hollow, cylindrical toothbrush cartridge chamber has an open proximal end and an outside diameter smaller than the inside diameter of the housing proximal end, to facilitate insertion of the cartridge chamber into the proximal end of the housing. A movable piston is disposed in the cartridge chamber and a slidable button is located on the housing and connected to the movable piston. A dome cap is removably affixed to the proximal end of the cartridge chamber to retain toothpaste introduced into it. A dental floss container can be removably attached to the toothbrush and an LED light can be added to illuminate areas of the mouth being brushed.

RELATED PATENT APPLICATION

The present application is related to copending provisional patent application No. 62/494,669, for BRUSH 2 PASTE, filed Aug. 17, 2016, and hereby incorporates the teaching therein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

This invention relates to toothbrushes and, more particularly, to a toothbrush that gradually dispenses the desired amount of toothpaste by pressing a slide button located on the side of the toothbrush.

The invention provides a much needed improvement in the dental care industry that would make the process of brushing the teeth more efficient and convenient for people who may be traveling as well as for use within the household. It provides a two-in-one dental care device.

Conventional toothbrushes require a user to actively spread toothpaste on the brush head of the toothbrush from a separate toothpaste tube. Toothpaste tubes are generally malleable plastic tubes, which enables a user to extract toothpaste from within by squeezing the tube to force the toothpaste from a nozzle end of the tube. While not a complicated procedure, it does require some dexterity to accurately dispense toothpaste from a toothpaste tube and dispose it onto a toothbrush head. Additional dexterity is required to dispose a measured amount from the toothpaste tube so as to not result in waste. This might not seem terribly problematic for most, but for those with disabilities and debilitating ailments this can pose as a difficult task. Moreover, convention has forced all of us, disabled or not, to deal with toothpaste containers that are separate from the toothbrush. This becomes a burden by constantly having to store and transport two separate items.

Description of Related Art

U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,632 issued to Persad for REFILLABLE DENTRIFICE DISPENSING TOOTHBRUSH issued on Jun. 22, 1999 describes a toothbrush unit that allows for storage of a dentifrice within a cavity defined within a toothbrush body. The stored dentifrice is dispensed onto the bristles of the toothbrush head by actuating a bushing drive unit that is also disposed within the body cavity. The bushing drive unit of the toothbrush allows for two-way movement of a compression piston axially along a threaded drive screw. Upon movement of the piston toward the bristlehead of the toothbrush, in which a plurality of openings are provided, the dentifrice is forced through the cavity, through the bristlehead openings, and onto the bristles. As the supply of the dentifrice is depleted, or at any time refilling is necessary, the piston is moved toward the posterior end of the toothbrush to allow for injection of additional dentifrice into the body cavity. The dentifrice is injected from an ordinary tube of dentifrice and into the cavity through an opening in the posterior end of the toothbrush, the opening having internal threads which mate with the standard external threading on the front tip of the dentifrice tube. A pressure relief orifice is formed into the toothbrush body to fluidly communicate with the body cavity, thereby permitting the release of air pressure during the refilling process.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,496,393 issued to Martin, et al. for REFILLABLE TOOTHPASTE DISPENSING TOOTHBRUSH issued on Jul. 30, 2013 describes a refillable toothpaste dispensing toothbrush that has a toothpaste containing capsule for dispensing toothpaste through the bristle head of the toothbrush. The toothpaste capsule can be filled using any standard toothpaste tube. Grooves in the toothpaste passageway prevent clogging of toothpaste in the toothbrush. In an alternate embodiment, the dispensing toothbrush also contains a sonic vibrating device.

U.S. Pat. No. 9,339,103 issued to Watters for TOOTHBRUSH WITH TOOTHPASTE DISPENSING APPLICATOR issued on May 17, 2016 describes a toothbrush device having a hollow handle, an open end, and a bristled brush. A tube of toothpaste is inserted into the handle and an internal roll bar assembly is actuated via a knob disposed on an exterior surface of the handle. The roll bar assembly traverses an interior space of the handle to collapse the toothpaste tube, squeezing the tube and conveying toothpaste through an interior conduit portion of the toothbrush. The toothpaste is subsequently dispensed from below the bristled brush portion, whereupon a user may brush their teeth in a normal manner using the device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It would advantageous to provide a means to extract toothpaste from a conventional toothpaste tube and dispose it on a brush head of a toothbrush in a controlled manner.

It would also be advantageous to provide a means to operate the toothbrush with ease, especially for those with compromised fine motor skills.

It would further be advantageous to provide a combination of a two-in-one dental care device that is simple to carry and store regardless of the location and occasion.

It would also be advantageous to make the process of brushing the teeth more convenient for children, young adults, and the elderly.

It would further be advantageous for a user to use just one hand to hold the toothbrush and at the same time gradually dispense the desired amount of toothpaste onto the bristles on the toothbrush's head by simply pressing a slide button located on the side of the toothbrush.

It would also be advantageous to provide a user with the option of using different flavors and brands of toothpaste by simply inserting a different toothpaste cartridge in the toothbrush cartridge chamber.

It would further be advantageous to allow a user to see the amount of toothpaste that remains in the toothbrush.

It would also be advantageous to provide dental floss as part of the toothbrush to allow simultaneous brushing and flossing of teeth.

It would further be advantageous to provide an LED light as part of the toothbrush to illuminate the area of the mouth being brushed.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention are more readily apparent with reference to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

Unlike prior dental care devices, which require holding the toothbrush with one hand and applying the toothpaste with the other hand, the toothbrush housing we've invented can perform these two functions with only one hand. Our invention allows the person using it to gradually dispense the toothpaste through the rubber toothpaste dispenser onto the bristles on the removable toothbrush head by simply pressing the slide button 18 located on the side of the toothbrush housing.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a toothpaste dispensing toothbrush having a longitudinal, hollow, cylindrical housing, an open distal end, and an open proximal end. The distal end is tapered to a blunt, open extremity. The proximal end has a predetermined inside diameter. The cylindrical housing also has a transparent longitudinal window located along its outer surface. A toothbrush head is removably affixed to the distal end of the housing. A hollow, cylindrical toothbrush cartridge chamber has an open proximal end and an outside diameter smaller than the inside diameter of the housing proximal end, to facilitate insertion of the cartridge chamber into the proximal end of the housing. A movable piston is disposed in the cartridge chamber and a slidable button is located on the housing and connected to the movable piston. A dome cap is removably affixed to the proximal end of the cartridge chamber to retain toothpaste introduced into it. A dental floss container can be removably attached to the toothbrush and an LED light can be added to illuminate areas of the mouth being brushed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A complete understanding of the present invention may be obtained by reference to the accompanying drawings, when considered in conjunction with the subsequent detailed description, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded side section view of the toothbrush in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded front perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1, illustrating the chamber in which the toothpaste cartridge is to be inserted;

FIG. 3 is a partial rear view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 showing an alternate slide button for dispensing toothpaste;

FIG. 4 is a partial rear view of the toothbrush shown in FIG. 1, including dental floss;

FIG. 5 is a partial rear view of a cavity for retaining dental floss;

FIG. 6 is a side sectional view of the toothbrush shown in FIG. 1, including dental floss disposed in the bristles thereof; and

FIG. 7 is a partial side view of an alternate embodiment of a toothbrush, further including an LED light mounted thereon.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Although the following detailed description contains specific details for the purposes of illustration, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that variations and alterations to the following details are within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments of the invention described below are set forth without any loss of generality to, and without imposing limitations upon, the claimed invention.

The inventive toothpaste dispensing toothbrush has a hollow housing, an open proximal end and an open distal end tapered to a blunt, open extremity. The cylindrical housing also has a transparent longitudinal window located along its outer surface. A toothbrush head is removably affixed to the distal end of the housing. A hollow, cylindrical toothbrush cartridge chamber has an open proximal end and a sufficiently small outside diameter to facilitate insertion of the cartridge chamber into the proximal end of the housing. A movable piston is disposed in the cartridge chamber and a slidable button is located on the housing and connected to the movable piston.

As shown in the exploded side section view in FIG. 1, a toothbrush 5 includes a hollow, cylindrical housing 10 and toothpaste cartridge chamber 12 in which is disposed a toothpaste cartridge 22 containing toothpaste, not shown. By advancing a slide button 35 located on the side of the toothbrush housing 10, the desired amount of toothpaste is gradually dispensed through a rubber toothpaste dispenser 24 located inside a removable toothbrush head 16. Toothbrush head 16 has bristles attached thereto. A slit 34 on the side of the toothbrush housing 10 keeps the slide button 35 stable, allowing it to slide up and down the toothbrush housing 10 smoothly to activate an attached plunger 18 that forces the toothpaste to exit toothpaste cartridge 22. A removable safety cap 26 covers the toothbrush head 16 when not in use.

As shown in the exploded front view in FIG. 2, toothpaste cartridge chamber 12 is insertable into housing 10 and retained therein by a set of indentions or tips 32 for aligning the toothpaste cartridge chamber 12 with respect to housing 10. A domed cap 14 lined with a rubber band 36 tightly seals the toothpaste cartridge chamber 12 on the toothbrush housing 10. A rubber toothpaste dispenser 24 is located within the removable toothbrush head 16. Toothpaste is gradually dispensed by pressing the slide button 18 located on the side of the toothbrush housing 10. A clear viewing window 28 is located on the front of the toothbrush housing 10 to show the amount of toothpaste that has been used and the amount of toothpaste remaining inside the toothpaste cartridge 22. The rubber toothpaste dispenser 24 has a hard plastic tip 30 that is inserted in the tip of the toothpaste cartridge 22. An extended linkage 20 is connected to slide button 35.

FIG. 3 shows a partial rear view of the embodiment of FIG. 1, including a shorter version of linkage 20 connected to slide button 35′ located inside of the toothbrush housing 10.

Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown a partial rear view of toothbrush 10. Disposable and removable dental floss 36 is aligned on a piece of hard plastic that is slidable and secured in a cavity 38 onto the top of removable toothbrush head 16. The provision of dental floss 36 allows a user to floss teeth prior to or after brushing them.

Referring now to FIG. 5, there is shown a partial rear view of a cavity 38 for retaining dental floss. Cavity 38 is disposed on the top of removable toothbrush head 16. Dental floss 36 may be slid in and out of cavity 38 and may be replaced by the user, as desired.

Referring now to FIG. 6, there is shown a side sectional view of toothbrush 10, including dental floss 36 permanently disposed horizontally within the bristles of removable toothbrush head 16. This configuration allows simultaneous flossing and brushing of teeth by the user.

Referring now to FIG. 7, there is shown a partial side view of an alternate embodiment of a toothbrush 5, further including an extended LED light 37 mounted thereon. A groove secures LED light 37 alongside the edges of toothbrush head 16. LED light 37 can illuminate the area of the user's mouth being brushed. Once removable toothbrush head 16 is connected to toothbrush housing 10, thin negative and positive, electrically conductive connector prongs 43, located inside removable toothbrush head 16 and toothbrush housing 10, allow extended LED light 37 to be turned on and off by the use of a small power button 41 located on the side of toothbrush housing 10. A flexible circuit 40 is disposed inside toothbrush housing 10 to provide transmission of power received from a watch battery 42 located in a small slot 42 on the side of toothbrush housing 10.

In operation, the toothbrush 5 allows the user to operate the device using only one hand. The user can insert the toothpaste cartridge 22 inside the toothpaste cartridge chamber 12. Once the toothpaste cartridge 22 is secured inside the cartridge chamber 12, the user simply has to press small slide button 35 located on the side of the toothbrush housing 10. By pressing this slide button 35, pressure is applied to the back section of the toothpaste cartridge 12 that then dispenses the toothpaste through the rubber dispenser 24. Upon finishing brushing the teeth, the toothbrush 5 can be easily cleaned by running water on it.

Since other modifications and changes varied to fit particular operating requirements and environments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention is not considered limited to the example chosen for purposes of disclosure and covers all changes and modifications which do not constitute departures from the true spirit and scope of this invention.

Many modifications are possible. For example, the toothbrush housing 10 can provide a toothpaste cartridge chamber 12 that is exposed by twisting the secured dome cap 14 in either direction. The removable toothbrush head 16 may be designed so the rubber toothpaste dispenser 24 is easily replaced each time a different toothpaste cartridge is inserted in the toothpaste cartridge chamber 12.

Instead of a slide button 35, 35′, a different mechanism may be used to apply pressure to the toothpaste cartridge 22 that would dispense the toothpaste by twisting or turning the secured dome cap 14 in one direction.

The toothpaste cartridge 22 may be designed to allow the user to add more toothpaste by squeezing the toothpaste from a regular tube of toothpaste into the toothpaste cartridge 22.

Instead of having a removable toothbrush head 16, the toothbrush housing 10 may be designed with a permanent toothbrush head.

The clear viewing window 28 may have numbers lined next to it to indicate the amount of toothpaste remaining inside the toothpaste cartridge 22, so as to alert the user when toothpaste is running out.

A stand may be used to allow the toothbrush housing 10 to stand upright.

Flavors of toothpaste can include, but not be limited to, any one or more of the following: aloe, bacon, blueberry, bourbon whiskey, bubble gum, champagne, chocolate, cinnamon, clove, Coca-Cola, coffee, curry, eggplant, fennel, honey, Irish cream, jasmine, licorice, Oreo cookie, peppermint, pickle, pine, pork, scotch whiskey, spearmint, and strawberry.

Having thus described the invention, what is desired to be protected by Letters Patent is presented in the subsequently appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A toothbrush comprising: a) a longitudinal, hollow, cylindrical housing having an outer surface, an open distal end, and an open proximal end, said distal end being tapered to a blunt, open extremity, and said proximal end having a predetermined inside diameter, said cylindrical housing further having a transparent longitudinal window located along said outer surface thereof; b) a toothbrush head removably affixed to said distal end of said housing; c) a hollow, cylindrical toothbrush cartridge chamber having an open proximal end and an outside diameter no greater than said inside diameter of said housing, to facilitate insertion of said cartridge chamber fully into said proximal end of said cylindrical housing; d) a movable piston disposed in said cartridge chamber adapted to move along a path in said cylindrical housing; e) a slidable button located on said outer surface of said housing and operatively connected to said movable piston; and f) a dome cap removably affixed to said proximal end of said cartridge chamber to retain toothpaste introduced therein.
 2. The toothbrush in accordance with claim 1, wherein said removable dome cap is screwed on to said cartridge chamber.
 3. The toothbrush in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a deformable toothbrush cartridge disposed within said cartridge chamber.
 4. The toothbrush in accordance with claim 3, wherein said toothbrush cartridge comprises toothpaste.
 5. The toothbrush in accordance with claim 4, wherein said toothpaste comprises at least one flavor selected from the group: aloe, bacon, blueberry, bourbon whiskey, bubble gum, champagne, chocolate, cinnamon, clove, Coca-Cola, coffee, curry, eggplant, fennel, honey, Irish cream, jasmine, licorice, Oreo cookie, peppermint, pickle, pine, pork, scotch whiskey, spearmint, and strawberry.
 6. The toothbrush in accordance with claim 3, wherein said toothbrush cartridge is refillable.
 7. The toothbrush in accordance with claim 3, wherein indicia are formed on the outer surface of said cylindrical housing proximate said transparent longitudinal window to indicate progress of said movable piston along said path in said cylindrical housing and to indicate the amount of toothpaste remaining in said toothbrush cartridge.
 8. The toothbrush in accordance with claim 1, further including a container mounted on said toothbrush housing for retaining dental floss, whereby a user may brush and floss teeth simultaneously.
 9. The toothbrush in accordance with claim 1, further including an LED light mounted on said toothbrush housing for illuminating an area of a mouth being brushed.
 10. The toothbrush in accordance with claim 6, further including a container mounted on said toothbrush housing for retaining dental floss, whereby a user may brush and floss teeth simultaneously.
 11. The toothbrush in accordance with claim 6, further including an LED light mounted on said toothbrush housing for illuminating an area of a mouth being brushed.
 12. The toothbrush in accordance with claim 10, further including an LED light mounted on said toothbrush housing for illuminating an area of a mouth being brushed. 